Veneer-gluing machine.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

A'. A, DENNIS. VENEER .GLUING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15.1905.

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PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

A. A. DENNIS.

VENEER GLUING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15.1905.

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AYAILABL: cor-Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED A. DENNIS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL FURNITURECOMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION.

V ENEER-GLUING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed April 15, 1905. Serial No. 255.825.

useful Improvements in Veneer-Gluing Machines, of which the following isa specification.

i This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inveneergluing machines; and its object is to provide a machine which willautomatically attach together, edge to edge, strips or pieces of veneer,so that each piece will constitute a part of a j arger sheet. l It isdesigned especially to be used in con iection with fine veneers forsurfacing fur- .iture where continuous sheets of satisfacory size andgrain cannot be had and to atilize what otherwise would be waste piecesIf such veneer.

These objects I accomplish by means of the mechanism shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of themachine on line 00 a: of Fig. 2, showing also in projection all theparts beyond the plane of the section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of themain bed or table. Fig. 3 is a broken portion of a verticalcross-section on line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a broken portion of avertical crosssection of the main bed and adjacent parts on line 5 5 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing the method of verticallyoperating the rod I. Fig. 6 shows in detail the pressure-roller whichattaches the adhesive tape. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of apressureroller used to aid in properly feeding the veneer strips. Fig. 8is a top plan of the same parts shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 9 is a sectionshowing the veneer strips and attaching-tape.

For the purpose of attaching the two strips together edge to edge I usea prepared adhesive tape, made of cloth, paper, or any suitablematerial, which is fed from any suitable drum or roll, as indicated bythe numeral 6 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. This prepared tape iscoated with an adhesive substance of such composition that when cold itwill not adhere or will adhere only slightly, so that it may be uncoiledfrom a reel, and such that immediately upon the application of heat itbecomes highly adhesive, and by the application of a sufficient degreeof heat becomes very firmly and strongly set and attached to any surfacein contact with it. I do not describe this tape or its composition morein detail, intending to make my improved form of the same the subject ofa separate application. It is sufficient to say that the same is of thetype which is affected by heat, like the wellknown surgeons adhesiveplaster. This tape may be as broad or as narrow as desired; but

in practice I have found it desirable to make the same about one inch inwidth. By this method I avoid any necessity for distributing a hotadhesive liquid, like glue, upon the face of the fabric or tape andavoid also the necessity of a long-continued dry heat for setting theglue, thus omitting the parts of the mechanism which otherwise must be'devoted to these purposes.

A represents the main bed frame or table of the machine, provided withsuitable openings, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the variouspressure-rollers and feeding devices to pass therethrough. I haveconstructed these openings in a metal plate B, which I have inserted inthe main bed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Upon the upper surface of themain bed A and running also into the inserted plate B, if such be used,I hollow out a groovelike depression as wide and as deep and of suchexact form in cross-section as may be desired. This groove is shown incross-section in Fig. 3 in its outer portion, being there angular, andis shown in cross-section in its inner portion in Fig. 4, being thereconcave. At its inner end and at or near the point where thetape-attaching roller makes contact with the veneer strip this groovegradually runs out into the plane of the surface of the bed, as shown byZ in Figs-1 and 2.

C (shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1) is avertical plate at the bottom of this groove extending toward its innerend, but terminating somewhat'short thereof and serving as a partitionbetween the two longitudinal halves of the groove.

D D D D are the four corner-posts of the frame, suitably attached to themain bed and rising therefrom and supporting and carrying other parts ofthe machine. These posts are connected at the top in one direction bythe cross-bars D and in the other direction by the cross-bars D Slidingvertically in the cross-bars D and other portions of the frame are therods I I, one at each side of the machine. These rods carry at theirlower end the horizontal power-shaft G, to which positive motion isimparted by any suitable means, and through these rods I I this shaft Gand the roller which it carries may be raised or lowered.

A suitable tension-spring may be used, as shown in Fig. 1, to give anelastic pressure to the roller H, which is the roller carried andoperated by the shaft G. This roller I-I may have its surface inanygisuitable form but I have found the form shown by Fig. 6 espe ciallydesirable. This has a surface H as great as or greater than the width ofthe tape to be attached and has at each side of such surface andprojecting very slightly beyond the same a corrugated portion.

It is apparent that when the main central portion is pressed down uponthe tape with sufficient pressure to attach the same these corrugationswill very firmly bite the wood at .each side of the tape and will insurethe forward motion of the veneer strips in a direct line of travel andwithout any possible slip or motion laterally or at an angle to suchline of travel.

The vertical rods I are operated vertically by the construction shown inFig. 5. The upper portion of the rod carries an eccentricguide I, whichI have shown rectangular in form. This contains the eccentric K, carriedon the shaft 9. The shaft is rocked by the lever J, and the lever J isoperated or pulled forward by the arm J. (Shown in Fig. 1.) It isevident that as the arm J is pulled forward the eccentric K will operateto raise the eccentric-guide I, and therefore the rod I, and will thusrelease the pressure upon the veneer strips, while the roller and shaftH G are free to continue their revolving motion. The arm J on the leverJ and rockshaft 9 also operate a similar eccentric K, which works in andoperates the eccentric-guide L, as shown in Fig. 1. This lattereccentric and guide are attached to the arm M, which is pivoted at itsrear end to a suitable portion of the frame and at its forward endcarries the vertical rod 0. This rod 0 is provided with a suitabletension-spring and may be further adjusted by the set-screw N above thesame. This rod 0 carries at its lower end the roller Q, which thusexerts a down ward and elastic pressure upon the veneer strips. When theshaft 9 is rocked forward, the eccentric K will raise the arm M, andthereby raise the rod 0 simultaneously with the rod I and release alsothis pressure upon the veneer strips.

The shaft G is journaled in the verticallymovable boX F, which slidesupon suitable guides depending from any suitable portion of the frame,(marked and indicated in Fig. 1 by the letter E,) and in a similar waythe roller Q, journaled in the lower end of the rod 0, is guided in itsvertical motion by the guides P. These guides P and the guides upon theframe E are ordinary V-guides in the construction which I have shown.

R is a power'feed-roller situated below the table and projecting uptherethrough. It is carried 011 and operated by the shaft S, which inturn is operated by any suitable means.

h is a pressure-roller situated below and opposite and normally nearlyor quite in contact with the roller H. This roller 71 I find should beelastic in its operation, and I have produced this result in the form ofmachine shown in the drawings by covering the same with an elastic band.It is carried by the shaft 7L The upper surface of this lowerpressure-roller is in the plane of the main bed or table and formspractically a portion of such main bed or table over which the veneerstrips are fed.

At the rear portion of the machine are the upper and lowerpressure-rollers 2 and 3. (Shown in Fig. 1.) One of these is madeadjustable. I have shown the upper one carried by the rod 1, which isvertically adjustable on the frame in any suitable way, as by theadjusting-nut 4. chine with four pairs of pressure-rollers orfeed-rollersnamely, the rollers Q and R, of which there are two pairs,the same being duplicated upon each side of the deviceand the rollers hH and the rollers2 3. Of these H and R are power feed-rollers. Theremainder are idlers. All of them can be further provided with suchadjustability, frictional surfaces, and elasticity as the specialrequirements of the work may indicate. The rollers Q and B shouldespecially be provided with such corrugations or other frictionalsurfaces as will additionally insure the direct forward travel of thestrips and prevent any lateral slip and sufficiently resist any tendencyto lateral slip or angling motion which may be caused by the crowding ofthe two strips together as they leave the groove at Z.

W V V is a pressure-roller, or rather a guide operating to hold the twostrips of veneer down in the bottom of the groove as they move forwardin theirdirect travel, and it should present upon its lower surface aline of the same formation as the bottom of the groove at that point andbe raised above such bottom the thickness of the veneer. I have shown itas being vertically adjustable by means of its carrying-rod WV,adjustably attached to the frame. A similar function is performedfurther along in the groove and toward its rear end by the guide T. Thisis carried by the vertically-adjustable rod or plate U, adjustably'attached to the frame, and this guide extends along over the groove andis upon its under surface of a shape cor- I thus provide the ma- 9responding to the bottom of the groove. It

insures that the veneer shall lie smoothly in the groove and in contactwith the bottom thereof as the veneer moves forward in the groove. i

The operation of the device has been in most respects alreadysufliciently described. I take two veneer strips (represented by 7 and 8in Fig. 9) and feed them along the bed or table in such a way that theirinner edges pass under the guides V V and are forced down into thebottom of the groove. They are then fed along, being held apart by thepartition 0 and being further on held down in the groove and in contactwith its bottom by the guide T. As they reach about the inner end of thepartition 0 they are seized and fed forward in an absolutely direct andparallel line of travel by the rollers Q R. Just as they reach therollers H h the bottom of the groove rises to the plane of the surfaceand the edges of the two strips are therefore brought together, so as tomake a tight joint. This can be regulated by changes in the width of thepartition 0 and in the depth of the groove. Thus the edges will beforced together more or less tightly, as may be desired, but the mainbody of the veneer strips cannot yield laterally. The adhesive tape isthen attached in the form shown in Fig. 9, in which 6 represents thetape, and 6 the adhesive material thereon,

and the two strips, united so as to be one, pass on between thepressure-rollers 2 3, which serve as additional guides to cause directtravel and also in some measure additionally to attach the tape, andthey are then delivered at the rear of the machine completely andsatisfactorily united. The roller H is intended to be heated. This maybe done by a gas-flame introduced into the interior or in any well-knownmanner, and as the particular method of heating constitutes no part ofmy invention 1 have not illustrated the same. When the veneer stripshave come through the machine united together, as described, they may beturned over and laid with the tape in contact with the body of the woodof which the veneer is to form the face. posed between such body and theveneer, and the two are then attached together perinanently byveneer-presses or in any wellknown manner. A thin tape sinks into theinterposed body of glue, and as a result the upper or veneer surface isperfectly plain and the presence of these fabric strips or tapes cannotbe detected, the finishing-surface being as perfect as if no such tapeswere underneath. If preferred, the veneer may be A layer of glue isinterthem the perfect veneer-joint which they have assisted to produce,and a perfect surface for a final finishing will thus be presented, suchadhesive material as remains upon the veneer being easily removed.

I have described a groove or concavity in the table-body for the purposeof bringing about tighter contact between the edges of the veneerstrips. It is obvious that the same result would be produced by aconvexity, or what would be equivalent to an inverted groove upon thetable-body, or by any other form which would advance the edges of thestrips in a plane different from the plane of the main advancing bodyand would then return the edges to the plane of the main body, and whilein the claims I have referred to a groove I intend thereby to includesuch equivalent means of producing the same result.

Having thus described my invent ion, what I claim to have invent ed, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving means for disposing two strips of veneer at an angle with respectto the plane of said table, and means for bringing said strips to theplane of said table, pressure and feed rollers for feeding and carryingthe veneer strips, means for feeding and applying an adhesive tape tothe adjacent portions of the two veneer strips and means for heating thetape so as to make the same adhesive.

2. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving means for disposing two strips of veneer at an angle with respectto the plane of said table, and means for bringing said strips to theplane of said table, pressure and feed rollers 'or feeding and carryingthe veneer strips, means for feeding an adhesive tape to the adjacentportions of the two strips and a heat ed pressureroller for applying thetape to the two strips of veneer and for heating the tape so as to makethe same adhesive.

3. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving a groove for a portion of the length thereof for receiving andholding at an angle to the plane of the table the adjacent parts of twostrips of veneer, and without such groove for another portion of thelength thereof, pressure and feed rollers for feeding and carrying theveneer strips, and means for applying to the adjacent portions of thetwo strips of veneer an adhesive tape.

4. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving a groove for a portion of the length thereof for receiv attachedto the body by glue and veneering and holding at an angle to the planeof the presses in the usual way and with adhesive table the adjacentparts of two strips of vetapes on the upper surface. These tapes maythen be removed, leaving underneath neer, and without such groove foranother portion of the length thereof, a longitudinal partition in suchgroove for separating the adjacent veneer edges, feed and pressurerollers for feeding and carrying veneer strips, and means for applyingan adhesive tape to the adjacent portions of the two veneer strips.

5. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving a groove for a portion of the length thereof for receiving andholding at an angle to the plane of the table the adjacent parts of twostrips of veneer, and without such groove for another portion of thelength thereof, means for retaining the veneer strips in contact withthe bottom of the groove as they move along the same, feed and pressurerollers for feeding and carrying the veneer strips, and means forapplying an adhesive tape to the adjacent portions of the two veneerstrips.

6. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or table,pressure and feed rollers for feeding and carrying the veneer strips,means for feeding an adhesive tape to its point of attachment, and aroller for applying the tape to the adjacent portions of the two stripsof veneer and provided near its opposite ends with flange extensionsguiding the tape passing between the same and making contact with theveneer strips beyond the edges of the tape.

7. In a machine for attaching veneers edge to edge, a main bed or tablehaving a groove for a portion of the length thereof for receiving andholding at an angle to the plane of the table the adjacent edges of twostrips of veneer, and without such groove for another portion of thelength thereof, means for holding the adjacent portions of the veneerstrips out of the plane of the table as they are moved along suchgroove, pressure and feed rollers for carrying and feeding the veneerstrips,

and means for applying an adhesive tape to the adjacent portions of theveneer strips.

8. A machine of the class set forth having a bed or table provided Withmeans for holding two veneer strips as they are fed over a portionthereof at an angle to the plane of said table and with means forreturning said strips to the plane of said table, and also provided witha flat portion over whicn the strips are fed after being returned to theplane thereof, means for feeding said strips and means for applying tothe adjacent portions of said strips an, adhesive tape.

9. In a machine of the class described, a bed or table having means forholding two veneer strips at an angle to the plane thereof, and alsoprovided with a flat portion over which the strips are disposed in theplane thereof with their inner edges in close contact, mechanism forfeeding and imparting pressure to the strips and applying means forsecuring the inner edges thereof.

10. In a machineof the clas set forth, a bed or table having means forfirst maintaining two veneer strips at an angle with respect to theplane thereof, and for subsequently disposing said strips in the planethereof with their inner edges in close contact, and mechanism forfeeding and imparting pressure to the said strips and for applying tothe adjacent portions thereof means for securing the same together.

In testimony wherof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALFRED A. DENNIS.

WVitnesses R. W. IRWIN, A. C. DENNISON.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 838,089-

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent N 0. 838,089, grantedDecember 11, 1906,

upon the application of Alfred A. Dennis, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, foran improvement in Veneer-Gluing Machines, was erroneously issued toRoyal Furniture Company, as owner of the entire interest in saidinvention; that said Letters Patent should have been issued to theinventor Alfred Dennis and Royal Furniture Company,

jointly, said Royal Furniture Company being the assignee of one-halfinterest only in said patent, as shown by the record of assignment inthis ofiice; and that said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of January, A. D., 1907.

[SEAL] F. I. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

